Method and apparatus for enabling commuter groups

ABSTRACT

A commuter groups service (CGS) allows commuters to join commuter groups so that they are able to socialize while commuting. Through the commuter groups, the users may share commuting routes, traffic updates, road conditions, and other information. Group members may arrange car pools, short term riding arrangements, and may anonymously or directly contact each other. The CGS may collect group member position information, e.g. GPS information, to enable the CGS to calculate traffic conditions and to select location specific information for group members. The system may include an on-line service accessible through a computer or wireless networking device. The user may log into the CGS, create or modify a user profile, and join groups of their choosing. Groups may be associated with specific events or with getting to/from work. Commuter groups may be formed for commuters that use private vehicles and/or public transportation.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/721,383, filed on Dec. 20, 2012, entitled METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR ENABLING COMMUTER GROUPS, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/433,399, filed on Mar. 29, 2012, entitledMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING COMMUTER GROUPS, now U.S. Pat. No.8,340,890, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/164,212, filed on Jun. 20, 2011, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FORENABLING COMMUTER GROUPS, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,150,608, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/525,615, filed onSep. 22, 2006, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING COMMUTERGROUPS, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,974,771, each of which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates to communication networks and, moreparticularly, to a method and apparatus for enabling commuter groups.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many people commute to and from work on a daily basis, often taking thesame route or selecting between a few alternative routes. Although somepeople are lucky to have relatively short commutes, it is not unusualfor commuting times for commuters to approach or exceed one hour eachway each day. Similarly, people may commute to a particular event suchas a hockey game, football game, or concert, and thus need to be at thesame place at approximately the same time which may cause congestion inthe vicinity of the event.

Various proposals have been made to make commuting more efficient. Forexample, several people have suggested tracking cars using GPS toprovide up-to-the minute information on commute times along variousroutes in an area. Users of the system could then have access to thisinformation to enable them to make decisions as to which route would bethe best. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0208313teaches a method of estimating real time traffic speeds using data frommoving vehicles. The speed information and commuting time along variousroutes may be delivered to drivers over cell phones or Personal DigitalAssistants (PDAs). Similarly, U.S. Patent Application Publication2005/0288046 teaches a traffic notification system that includes alocation determination system (of the user's car) and automaticallynotifies the user of traffic conditions. As another example, U.S. PatentApplication Publication 2003/0100993 teaches a system that will analyzecommute data and determine which commuters have similar start andend-points, and compute a set of routes to be used by those users.

Although all of these systems are able to generate route data, they donot change the fact that many commuters will be required to endure longcommute times. Since a large proportion of commuters ride to and fromwork alone, commuting time is not conducive to social interactions. Tothe contrary, aggressive drivers and tension between drivers mayfrequently make the commute more difficult than it would otherwise needto be. Additionally, traffic congestion in the area surrounding an eventmay cause the experience of reaching the event to be negative, thusaffecting the perceived value of attending similar events.

SUMMARY

A method and apparatus for enabling commuter groups allows commuters tojoin communities so that they are able to socialize while commuting towork, to events, or in other similar circumstances. Through the commutergroups, the users may share commuting routes and alternate routes thatthey use with each other, so that members may discover new routes tocommon destinations. They may also message with each other, for examplewhen one member of the group has car trouble, to help each other.Members may share traffic updates, accident reports, and other items ofcurrent information with each other to enable the groups to collectivelyhave a more pleasant commuting experience. The commuter groups may alsobe used to arrange car pools, shorter term riding arrangements forexample when one member of the group needs a ride to work, and for otherpurposes. By enabling commuter groups, commuters with similar commutes,and hence similar interests, may exchange information with each other tofoster comradery between commuters.

The commuter groups may be created for people driving in cars, may beestablished for commuters that take airplanes, trains, busses, subways,or other forms of public transportation, or may be established forcommuters that use a combination of public and private transportation.

The system may include an on-line service accessible through a computeror wireless networking device. For example, the service may be accessedvia cellular telephone, PDA, or other handheld device, or a device witha web-enabled browser. In one example, the service may be accessed via auser's automobile navigation system. The service may foster commutergroups by enabling group member interactions, anonymously if desired, toenable communities of commuters to be established. The service may alsocollect real-time information such as current road conditions andtraffic information, and static information such as business locationinformation, and transmit the information on demand or as determined bythe system to the members of the commuter groups. Other features may beenabled as well as described in greater detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present invention are pointed out with particularity inthe appended claims. The present invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the following drawings in which like references indicatesimilar elements. The following drawings disclose various embodiments ofthe present invention for purposes of illustration only and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention. For purposes of clarity,not every component may be labeled in every figure. In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a hypothetical city;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a possible commutingroute in the hypothetical city of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an alternate commutingroute in the hypothetical city of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an example communication networkarchitecture including a commuter groups service according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a user terminal configured tointeract with the commuter groups service according to an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a computer platform configuredto implement a commuter groups service according to an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example process that may be usedto enable a user to interact with the commuter groups service accordingto an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a commuter groups service processaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth numerous specific detailsto provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods,procedures, components, protocols, algorithms, and circuits have notbeen described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.

FIG. 1 a diagram of a hypothetical city 10 having a downtown area 12 anda freeway system including roads 14 and exits 16. Commuters that work inthe city may live in towns outside the city, such as suburbs 18, andtravel into the city on the roads 14. Generally, a given commuter willhave a small number of routes that they will take to get into the city.For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a given commuter may haveseveral alternate routes 20A, 20B that they may take to get into thecity, depending on traffic conditions on the freeway system. Often, manycommuters living in the same suburb 18 will use similar routes to getinto the city each morning and, similarly, will also travel these routesto return home at night.

Although an example has been provided of commuting routes into a city,different commuters may have commuting routes that extend wholly withinthe same city, may extend between cities, or may occur entirely within arural area. Similarly, commuting routes may have two common end pointsor may have a single common end point, such as a common starting pointor common destination. Commuting routes with only a single common endpoint may be, for example, associated with people attending an eventsuch as a football game, soccer game, concert, or other event. The termcommuting route will be used generically, and thus is not restricted topeople commuting to work or to a commuting route that resembles theexample routes shown in FIG. 1.

Commuting routes may include travel segments by private transportationsuch as via motorcycle or private car, or may include travel segments bypublic transportation such as train, commuter rail, subway, bus,airplane, helicopter, or other type of public transportation. Since manypeople travel by car, the description of the commuter group service willbe focused at time on an implementation optimized to enable commutergroups for automobile drivers, the invention is not limited in thismanner as the commuter groups service may be used by commuters thatutilize other forms of transportation.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a commuter groups serviceis implemented on a communication network to enable commuter groups tobe established (see FIG. 4). The service may collect real-timeinformation such as current road conditions and traffic information, andstatic information such as business location information, and transmitthe information on demand or as deemed necessary to the members of thecommuter groups. Users may also be able to search for information toobtain information of interest to them while driving, flying, using atrain, or commuting in another way. The system may also interface userswith each other to foster communication between users such as byproviding users with anonymous or actual contact information that thegroup members may used to communicate with each other.

The commuter groups may enable commuters to join communities of similarcommuters so that commuters with similar commuting patterns or interestsmay communicate with each other. Through the commuter groups service theusers may share commuting routes and alternate routes that they use witheach other. Users may also be allowed to search for alternate routes,people, and locations of interest. They may also message with eachother, for example when one member of the group has car trouble, to helpeach other. Members may share traffic updates, accident reports, andother items of current information with each other to enable the groupsto collectively have a more pleasant commuting experience. The commutergroups may also be used to arrange car pools, shorter term ridingarrangements for example when one member of the group needs a ride towork, and for other purposes. By enabling commuter groups, commuters onthe highway with similar commutes, and hence similar interests, mayexchange information with each other to foster comradery betweencommuters.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a communication networkarchitecture 30 implementing a commuter groups service according to anembodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 4, a commuter groupservice 40 may be implemented as a service such as a Web Service on anetwork 42 configured to interconnect users. The network may includeportions of the Internet, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN),cellular wireless networks, wireless data networks such as WiFi or WiMaxnetworks, and other types of networks, to enable fixed terminals 44 andwireless terminals 46 to obtain access to the commuter groups service40. Although several types of networks have been described in connectionwith network 42, the invention is not limited to the particular type ofnetwork used to interconnect the users and the commuter groups service40. Similarly, although an embodiment of the commuter groups servicewill be described as being implemented as a web service, the inventionis not limited in this manner as the commuter groups service may beimplemented using many different technologies.

Users of the commuter groups service 40 may access the service and othergroup members from a fixed terminal 44 such as a computer at theirhouse, and may also access the service and other group members from awireless terminal 46 such as a Personal Data Assistant (PDA), cellularphone, Blackberry, automobile navigation system, laptop computer,notepad, or other computing device configured to communicate using awireless communication technology. Numerous ways of accessing the CGS 40and communicating with other group members may be utilized and theinvention is not limited to the particular ways users choose to interactwith each other and the CGS.

Location information of users in the system may be determined usingGlobal Positioning System (GPS) 48, cellular triangulation methods, orother methods of locating a mobile terminal. For example, the locationsof users as they commute through the city may be detected by mobileterminals 46 configured to include a GPS receiver. The GPS locationinformation may then be transmitted to the commuter groups service 40.Other location detection processes may be used as well, such asmeasuring the signal strength of transmissions from the user at accesspoints that are able to receive signals from the user, and calculatingthe rough position of the user via triangulation from the receivedsignals. The invention is not limited by the particular location systemused to determine the location of the user.

Regardless of how it is obtained, the location information may be usedby the commuter groups service 40 to detect the users' speeds and inferfrom the users' speeds the traffic conditions on the roads 14. Thelocation information may also be used by the commuter groups service toprovide location specific advertising to the users as they passrestaurants, gas stations, and other businesses along their commutingroute.

Additionally, the location information may be used by the commutergroups service to determine which users of a particular commuter groupare in relatively close proximity to each other on the road. Theproximity information may enable users to message other users that arelocated close by so that the users may communicate about particularitems of interest. For example, commuters may alert each other ofparticular road hazards, particularly annoying/aggressive drivers, andother items of interest to commuters in the same general area on theroadway. Similarly, the proximity information may enable users headingto an event to communicate with each other before getting to the eventto ease tension associated with congestion as the users approach theevent. Location information may be used in other ways as well and theinvention is not limited to the use of location information only as setforth in these several selected examples.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a user terminal 50 that may beused to interact with the commuter groups service according to anembodiment of the invention. The user terminal may be implemented as afixed terminal 44 or a mobile terminal 46 as described in connectionwith FIG. 4. Although a particular user terminal 50 will be described ingreater detail herein, the invention is not limited to use with thisparticular example terminal as other user terminals may be used as well.

As shown in FIG. 5, the user terminal includes one or more processors 52containing control logic 54 configured to load data and instructionsfrom memory 56. The memory 56 may contain computer executable code orportions of code configured to enable the user terminal to communicateon the network 42 and to interact with the commuter groups service 40.For example, the memory 56 may include an internet browser or otherinternet access software 60 to enable the user terminal to communicateover the Internet. The memory may also contain an instant messagingclient 62 configured to enable the user terminal to message other userterminals for real-time text based communication with the otherterminals.

The memory 56 may also include commuter groups service client software64 where the commuter groups service is created using a client-serverarchitecture. For example, the commuter groups service client 64 may beconfigured to collect information from the user terminal such as groupaffiliation information 66, terminal specific information such as theterminal's mobile identification number 68, and pass that information tothe commuter groups service. The client software may also interact witha GPS module 58 to obtain current location information of the terminaland pass that information to the CGS. Optionally, client software may berun as a background process to enable information about the userterminal to be transmitted periodically from the user terminal to theCGS without requiring intervention by the user.

Instead of running the client software transparently to the user, theclient software may alternatively be implemented as an applicationthrough which the user may interact with the CGS and other groupmembers. For example, the application may present the user with a userinterface through which the user may access and modify the user'sprofile at the CGS, interact with the CGS during the commute, obtaintraffic alerts and maps of congestion pertinent to their commutingroute, obtain live video data of portions of an upcoming route, andotherwise be presented with information pertinent to the commute. Theapplication may also maintain or retrieve contact information for othermembers of the group that are in the vicinity of the user to enable theusers to message or talk with each other about the commute. Since theCGS knows the location of the group members, it may select sub-groups ofmembers based on proximity to each other that are at approximately thesame point in the commute to enable the members in the sub-groups tocommunicate with each other while traveling along the route.

The terminal may include one or more input/output devices such as amicrophone 72, keypad 74 and speaker 76. Optionally, the display 70 maycontain a pressure sensitive, light sensitive, or other type ofsensitive display screen to enable the display itself to be used as aninput device as well as an output device. Other input/output devices maybe used as well and the invention is not limited to an embodiment thatuses only these input/output devices or this particular selection ofinput/output devices.

Where the terminal 50 is configured to communicate using one or morewireless technologies, the user terminal 50 may be equipped with anantenna 80. Similarly, the terminal 50 may be provided with a networkinterface 82 to enable the terminal to be connected to the network viaone or more fixed wires. The invention is not limited to the particularmanner in which the terminal 50 is connected to the network 42.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a computer platform such as aserver containing CGS software that is configured to implement acommuter groups service 40 according to an embodiment of the invention.As shown in FIG. 6, the computer platform 100 may be implemented as astandard computer platform including one or more processors 102configured to implement control logic 104. The computer platform mayinclude one or more network interfaces 106 configured to enable thecomputer platform to receive communications from the network and outputinformation and control commands onto the network. The computer platformmay be implemented as a general purpose computer, a network element suchas a router or switch, or as another type of computing device. Computerplatforms generally include many additional components, which have beennot described in detail since these additional components are common andwell known to persons skilled in the art.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the computer platform 100 includes amemory 110 containing commuter group service software 112. The commutergroups service software is configured to implement the functionsdescribed herein in connection with the commuter groups service, forexample, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Additional details associated withthe CGS software will be provided below in connection with thesefigures.

The memory 110 may also include traffic condition software 114, eitheras a separate module or as a portion of the CGS software 112. Thetraffic condition software 114 may process traffic information updatesinput by group members, received from independent traffic reportingservices, or received from GPS information, and create traffic estimatesfor commuters in particular commuting groups. The memory 110 may alsoinclude other functional modules to enable it to perform specificfunctions described herein and associated with the CGS service, such asa communication module configured to handle instant messages andtelephone calls between group members.

The computer platform may also contain or interface with one or moredatabases containing information for use by the CGS software 112. Forexample, the computer platform 100 may contain a user profiles database120, group profiles database 122, historical data database 124, routeprofiles database 126, and location profiles database 128. Otherdatabases may be used as well and the invention is not limited to anembodiment that includes only these selected databases or all of theseselected databases. Similarly, two or more of the databases may becombined or merged together, depending on the particular implementation.Additionally, although an embodiment has been shown in which thedatabases are supported by the computer platform 100, the invention isnot limited in this manner as the databases may be external to thecomputer platform and interfaced to the computer platform directly, viaa local area network, or via network 42.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example process that may be usedto enable a client to interact with the commuter groups serviceaccording to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 7, when auser would like to interface with the CGS, the user will log into theservice (200). The log-in process enables the client to be identified tothe CGS so that user-specific services may be provided to the user. Ageneric log-in process may be used to enable the user to log into theCGS, such as by providing the user with a user interface that willenable the user to input a user ID and password. Optionally, the CGS maybe configured to recognize user terminals as part of the initial log-inprocess so that one or more of the log-in screens may be pre-populatedwith information associated with an expected user of the terminal. Anydesired log-in process may be used and the invention is not limited bythe particular log-in process or method used to gain access to the CGS.

When a user logs into the CGS for the first time, the user will beprovided with a user interface to enable the user to create a userprofile (202). Optionally, CGS software 64 such as a cookie or otherexecutable program may also be downloaded to the user terminal at thisstage to enable the client terminal and CGS to exchange information moreefficiently. If necessary, CGS software may be downloaded at the onsetof the communication session between the CGS and the terminal, or atanother stage of the process. The invention is not limited by theparticular manner in which the CGS software is provided or to anembodiment in which CGS software is required to be instantiated on theuser terminal.

The user profile may contain many different pieces of information, someof which may be required and other of which may be optional. Forexample, the user profile may contain information to enable the user tobe identified to the CGS such as the user's actual name, phone number,e-mail address, instant messaging address, mobile identification number,credit card information, and other similar information. The user mayalso enter a group member services name or alias that the user wouldlike to use in connection with communications with other group members.By enabling the user to coin a group member services name, the user'sactual name may be withheld from other group members while enabling thegroup members to communicate with each other.

The user's profile may contain both public information to be shared withother group members and private information that is to be used only bythe CGS. For example, the public information may include the groupmember's alias, assigned instant messaging address, assigned telephonenumber, or assigned contact code.

The instant messaging address, telephone numbers, and other informationused to contact members of the group may be specific to the CGS systemand not work outside of the CGS system. To enable this to work, the CGSwill assign a code to each user that is associated with that user andwhich may be used to reach the user through the CGS system. When a userwould like to contact another group member, the user may dial the CGSsystem and enter the code to cause the CGS system to put a call throughto the other group member. By performing a translation of assigned codeinformation to telephone number or IM address, the CGS system may allowgroup members to contact each other without requiring the users to sharepersonal information before they get to know one-another.

Other information in the user's profile may be private information suchas the group member's actual name, address, telephone numbers, andcredit card information. Depending on the particular implementation,more or less information may be contained in the public and privateaspects of the user's profile. Once a user establishes a profile, it maybe edited at any time so that the user may update their profile.

As part of the profile creation process, the user may be prompted toenter information regarding the routes that the user routinely travelsas part of a commuting process. For example, users may enter the startand end points of their typical commutes, approximate times of the dayduring which they commute, and the mode of transportation (publictransportation or private vehicle) and if they commute by privateautomobile, the type of vehicle they typically use to commute. Based onthis information, the system may determine if there are any establishedcommuter groups that may be appropriate for the user to join (204).

The CGS may use a number of different criteria when searching for acandidate commuter group that the user may join. For example, the CGSmay look at the starting and ending points on the commuter route todetermine if there is an established commuter group for commuters thatget on at the same highway entrance and/or get off at the same highwayexit. The CGS may also look more broadly to find a commuter group thatcovers a range of entrances and exits that may cover the entrances/exitsof the user.

The CGS may use other criteria to search for a candidate commuter groupto be presented to the user. For example, a commuter group may beestablished for all users that use a particular highway to get to workin the morning. Alternatively, user hobbies, interests, careers, andother criteria may be used to create topic specific commuter groups orsub-groups. Similarly, the CGS may look to determine if there is acommuter group associated with a particular event that the user isplanning to attend. Other criteria may be used to determine whether aparticular commuter group should be selected as a candidate commutergroup for presentation to the user.

Once the user has established a profile, the CGS will determine if thereare any established commuter groups that the user may be interested injoining. If there are no commuter groups, for example if the CGS is justbeing deployed in a particular geographic area or city, the commuter maybe presented with the option of creating a new commuter group (206). Ifthe user elects to establish a new commuter group, the CGS willestablish a new commuter group, assign parameters to the commuter group,and add the user to the group (208).

If there are candidate commuter groups to be presented to the user, theuser will be provided with information on the existing groups (210) andbe provided with the opportunity to select one or more groups with whichto affiliate (212). If the user is not satisfied with the groups thathave been presented the user may request the CGS to broaden its searchto provide the user with a larger list of candidate commuter groups(214). Alternatively, the user may ask the system to establish a newgroup (216) which will then cause the system to establish a new groupand add the user to the group (208). The user may change groupaffiliation at any time by logging into the system and editing theirprofile on the system, so that group affiliation is not staticallydetermined by the system but rather is dynamically controlled accordingto the user's preferences.

Once a user is a member of a group, the user may participate in thegroup 214. Participation in a group may require the user to log into aservice 200 or may occur automatically when the user is commuting. Forexample, the CGS software 64 may be configured to transmit locationinformation to the CGS system whenever it changes its location, orduring pre-set times of the day. When the CGS sees location informationfrom a known mobile terminal 46, it may automatically provide the userassociated with that mobile terminal with access to the group. Theauthentication process used by the service to determine who is able toparticipate in a group may vary depending on the policy to beimplemented by the CGS. For example, when a user joins a group, themobile identification number of the user's cellular telephone or otherwireless handheld device may be associated with the group. Anyinteraction between the CGS and the user of the wireless handheld devicemay be then assumed to be associated with the commuting group.

Alternatively, a user may be required to enter a pass code toparticipate in the group. For example, when a user gets into their carfor the morning commute, the user may enter a pass code that will enablethe CGS to identify the user (alone or in combination with the device'smobile identification number of the user's mobile device) as aregistered user of the CGS.

A registered user may optionally be a member of more than one commutergroup. For example, a given commuter may commute back and forth to workon week days, may have season tickets to a local hockey team, and maycommute to a vacation home on weekends. The user may thus wish to joinmultiple commuter groups so that the user is able to receive thebenefits of the commuter groups service during several commutes. Thereare several ways that the CGS may correlate a given user with aparticular selected commuter group. For example, where the user isrequired to enter a pass code to participate in a commuter group, thepass code may contain one or more characters indicative of the commutergroup that the user would like to join. An example of a passcode of thisnature may be 1234-1 for commuting to work, and 1234-2 for commuting tothe vacation home. Clearly other passcodes may be used as well.

Alternatively, the system may determine automatically which commutinggroup should be used for a particular user based on a direction oftravel of the user, the time of day, and the past commuting history ofthe user. For example, the user may be required to head South on thefreeway to go to work and may be required to head North on the freewayto get to their vacation home. Similarly, the user may always leave homefor work at 7 AM, while always leaving home for a hockey game at 6 PM.Other mechanisms may be used as well and the invention is not limited tothe particular way in which the CGS selects between alternate commutergroups for a particular user.

Optionally, the user may not be required to be a permanent member of acommuter group to take advantage of the system. For example, if a useris required to travel to a different city, the user may log into the CGSand enter the starting location and ending destination of an anticipatedcommute to the new community. The CGS may then compute a preferred routefor the user, provide the route to the user, and select one or morecandidate commuter groups that the user may elect to join for the tripto the new city. The candidate commuter groups may cover the entire tripor segments of the trip between the cities. As the user travels betweenthe cities the CGS may monitor the user's progress and provide locationspecific advertising, notifications, and access to location specificcommuter groups to enable the user to have access to the benefits of theCGS system when traveling along an unfamiliar route. Similarly, a userthat purchases tickets to an event may be provided with a one time passcode to a commuter group in connection with the purchase of the ticket.The one time pass code may enable the user to participate in thecommuter group while commuting to the event to enable the user to obtainthe benefits of the commuter group during that one instance.

The advantages of the CGS system to a transient user may be manifest inenabling the user to request directions from group members. For example,as the user arrives at a new city having unknown traffic patterns, theuser may request help from the other group members to navigate throughparticularly difficult intersections and during other times.Alternatively, the CGS system may be provided with a module to enablethe CGS to instruct the user to be in a particular lane to enable theuser to traverse the intersection.

Regardless of what group the user has joined, whether permanently or ona temporary basis, participation in the group may take the form ofuser/system interactions (220) and group member interactions (230).Although particular actions have been designated as either user/systemand user/group member, the invention is not limited in this manner.

The user/CGS may interact in many different ways. For example, theuser's position may be tracked by the system to determine congestion andtravel times between particular areas (222). Based on the CGS'scalculation of congestion and travel times, the CGS may provide theusers with suggested route advice to enable the group members tooptimize their commute (224). The users may also be provided with livevideo feed of portions of their route or their group of alternate routes(such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) to enable the users to determine whichroute is more likely to provide a better way to travel (226).Additionally, contacts between group members may be passed through theCGS (228), for example to enable group members to be able to communicatewith each other more easily and/or anonymously.

Although the CGS has been described as being designed to providetruthful information to commuters, the invention is not limited in thismanner as the CGS may also be designed to provide false informationdesigned to distribute traffic more evenly across roads in a particularcity.

Interactions between group members (230) such as between a particularuser and other members of a commuter group may take on many differentforms. For example a user may signal its presence to the other groupmembers to enable instant messaging and other messaging to take placebetween the user and the other group members (232). Similarly, thisfunction may be performed on the user's behalf automatically by the CGSif desired by the user. For example, the user may specify in its profilewhether the user would like the CGS to signal other group members whenthe user begins commuting.

The user may also request help or respond to requests for help fromother group members (234). The ability to request help may beimplemented via instant messaging or through another special emergencymessaging channel. For example, a user may elect to not participate ingeneral instant messaging transmissions with other group members, butstill may be provided with emergency assist request messages.

Users may arrange car pools and arrange ride share arrangements witheach other (236) to enable the group members to cooperatively commutewhen necessary or convenient. Users may also share information abouttraffic conditions, road conditions, and hazards (238) to enable groupmembers to collectively avoid trouble spots on their daily commute.Users may also share routes and other commuting related information witheach other (240) to enable the scope of the commuter group to grow andadjust to accommodate more than one way to commute between two points orto/from a particular event.

Although particular examples have been provided about how users may usethe CGS once commuter groups have been established, the invention is notlimited in this manner as users may use the CGS in many different waysto improve their commutes. Additionally, within a group other sub-groupsmay be established that will enable sub-groups of the larger commutingcommunity to be established so that those members may have a moreintimate commuting experience. One example of this may entail enabling agroup with a particular interest in sports to form a sub-group within alarger commuting group so that the sub-group may engage in a groupdiscussion about that sport as they collectively commute to work. Theinvention is thus not limited to the particular described embodiment, asmany different additional features may be added as well.

FIG. 8 illustrates a process performed by the commuter groups service40. The process may be implemented using standard computer programmingtechniques or other techniques and the invention is not limited by theparticular way in which the process is implemented. The commuter groupsservice process (300) shown in FIG. 8 may be instantiated on a computerplatform and be configured to perform services on demand, as newinformation is received, according to a predetermined schedule, or inanother manner. The illustrated process in FIG. 8 is intended toillustrate an example of an embodiment of the invention, rather than toshow the invention itself, and other implementations of the commutergroups service process may perform fewer or additional actions. Thus,the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown in FIG.8.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, when the commuter group serviceprocess (300) receives a log-in request, the CGS process 300 willauthenticate the user (302). Authentication may be performed in manydifferent ways as discussed above and the invention is not limited tothe use of a particular authentication process.

Optionally, the manner in which a user is allowed to participate in thegroups may depend on the level of authentication associated with theuser. For example, a user may automatically be authenticated when theuser's cellular telephone, blackberry, or other electronic deviceregisters on a wireless network. With this level of authentication theuser may be provided with basic information that is broadcast to groupmembers and allowed to contact other group members. However, the CGSprocess may require a higher level of authentication to enable the userto change its profile at the CGS service. Thus, differentiatedparticipation may be enabled based on the level of trust establishedbetween the CGS and the user.

Once authenticated, the CGS process 300 will determine if the user is anew user (304) and, if so, create a profile for the user (306). If theuser is not a new user and, hence is recognized by the CGS process, theCGS process will retrieve the user's profile (308) and, if necessary,retrieve the group profile information for groups associated with theuser if those group profiles are not already loaded in memory orotherwise available to be accessed by the CGS process (310). When thelogin process has completed, the CGS process will return and awaitadditional login attempts by other users.

The CGS process may perform certain processes (312) on behalf of groupmembers without requiring group members to initiate the actions.Alternatively, the CGS process may initiate action upon request fromgroup members (314). Each of these modes of operating will be describedbelow.

The CGS process may be configured to perform certain processesautomatically (312). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the CGS processmay be configured to transmit traffic/route information to group membersbased on the expected commute of those group members (320). The CGSprocess may also receive position data from group members and monitorthe position data to collect traffic information (322). The CGS processmay also transmit video information associated with a particular commuteor a portion of a commute to group members associated with that commute(324). The CGS process may also determine which group members areactive, such as by monitoring the log-in process or monitoring thelocation of the group members (322), and transmit presence informationto the other group members (326). Notifying other group members whichgroup members are currently commuting may help group members communicatewith each other while commuting together.

The CGS process may also respond to user input (314). For example, if agroup member sends an outgoing instant message (IM) to another groupmember (330), the CGS process may receive the IM from the sender,translate the recipient's assigned IM address to its real IM address andforward the IM to the recipient over a wireless network (332).Similarly, if a group member makes a telephone call to another groupmember (340), the CGS process may connect the telephone call bytranslating the CGS assigned telephone number to a real telephonenumber, and connect the call to the called group member (342). The CGSprocess may facilitate communication between group members in other waysas well and the invention is not limited to an embodiment that performsonly these particular functions.

The functions described above may be implemented as a set of programinstructions that are stored in a computer readable memory and executedon one or more processors on the computer platform. However, it will beapparent to a skilled artisan that all logic described herein can beembodied using discrete components, integrated circuitry such as anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), programmable logic usedin conjunction with a programmable logic device such as a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA) or microprocessor, a state machine, orany other device including any combination thereof. Programmable logiccan be fixed temporarily or permanently in a tangible medium such as aread-only memory chip, a computer memory, a disk, or other storagemedium. Programmable logic can also be fixed in a computer data signalembodied in a carrier wave, allowing the programmable logic to betransmitted over an interface such as a computer bus or communicationnetwork. All such embodiments are intended to fall within the scope ofthe present invention.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications of theembodiments shown in the drawings and described in the specification maybe made within the spirit and scope of the present invention.Accordingly, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted in anillustrative and not in a limiting sense. The invention is limited onlyas defined in the following claims and the equivalents thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of communicating information to a userof a traffic information service, the method comprising: receivinginformation identifying a route to be travelled by the user from theuser; assigning the user to at least one user group based on theinformation identifying the route to be travelled by the user; and basedon the assignment of the user to the at least one user group, providinginformation associated with the identified route to the user.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein assigning the user to the at least one usergroup based on the information identifying the route to be travelled bythe user comprises assigning the user to at least one user groupcomprising users travelling routes overlapping the route to be travelledby the user.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the user to theat least one user group based on the information identifying the routeto be travelled by the user comprises assigning the user to at least oneuser group based on at least one route segment of the route to betravelled by the user.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning theuser to the at least one user group based on the at least one routesegment comprises assigning the user to a group of users travellingroutes which include the at least one route segment.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, comprising receiving contact information from the user and fromother users.
 6. The method of claim 5, comprising providing, to theuser, the contact information of at least one other user in the at leastone user group to which the user is assigned.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein providing the contact information of the at least one other userin the at least one user group to which the user is assigned comprisesproviding the contact information based on a current location of theuser and a current location of the at least one other user.
 8. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the provided contact information of the atleast one other user does not identify the at least one other user. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein the provided contact information of theat least one other user is usable by the user to contact the at leastone other user only via the traffic information service.
 10. The methodof claim 6, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of aphone number, an instant messaging address, an email address, and analias.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the informationidentifying the route to be travelled by the user comprises receiving,from the user, information identifying a start location and an endlocation.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the informationidentifying the route to be travelled by the user further comprises,responsive to receiving the information identifying the start locationand the end location, providing, to the user, at least one option for aroute between the start location and the end location.
 13. The method ofclaim 1, wherein providing the information associated with theidentified route comprises: monitoring progress of the user on theidentified route; and providing, to the user, information based on acurrent location of the user on the identified route.
 14. The method ofclaim 1, wherein providing the information associated with theidentified route comprises providing traffic information associated withthe identified route.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein providing theinformation associated with the identified route comprises providingaccident information associated with the identified route.
 16. Themethod of claim 1, wherein providing the information associated with theidentified route comprises providing image information associated withthe identified route.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein providing theinformation associated with the identified route comprises providingvideo information associated with the identified route.
 18. The methodof claim 1, wherein providing the information associated with theidentified route comprises providing advertising information associatedwith the identified route.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein theidentified route comprises a plurality of route segments.
 20. The methodof claim 19, wherein providing, to the user, information based on acurrent location of the user on the identified route comprisesproviding, to the user, information based on a current route segment ofthe user.
 21. The method of claim 1, comprising generating trafficinformation based on information received from other users of thetraffic information service, wherein providing, to the user, theinformation associated with the identified route comprises providing, tothe user, the traffic information associated with the identified route.22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information received from theother users of the traffic information service comprises the trafficinformation.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the informationreceived from the other users of the traffic information servicecomprises accident information.
 24. The method of claim 21, wherein theinformation received from the other users of the traffic informationservice comprises image information.
 25. The method of claim 21, whereinthe information received from the other users of the traffic informationservice comprises video information.
 26. The method of claim 21, whereinthe information received from the other users of the traffic informationservice comprises information indicating locations of the other users.27. The method of claim 21, wherein the information received from theother users of the traffic information service comprises informationindicating speeds of the other users.
 28. A method of communicatinginformation to a user of a traffic information service, the methodcomprising: receiving information identifying a route to be travelled bythe user from the user; and providing video information associated withthe identified route to the user.
 29. The method of claim 28, whereinthe video information is video information provided by another user. 30.A method of communicating information to a user of a traffic informationservice, the method comprising: receiving information identifying aroute to be travelled by the user from the user; and providingadvertising information associated with the identified route to theuser.